Rising local forward liked what he saw on recent Maryland basketball visit
Unless they decide to dip into the international pool or snag a prospect from a junior college, it looks like Maryland basketball won't add anyone in the frontcourt until portal season. But a lot of effort and focus is shifting toward the 2026 class, including a high-upside local prospect. Their pursuit of top 60-point guard Chance Mallory continues, but focus has been shifting toward the 2026 class, including a high-upside local prospect.
They recently hosted Shane Pendergrass, a 2026 forward who plays for Hargrave Military Academy and DC Premier, for an unofficial visit for their matchup against Maryland Eastern Shore.
"I was home from school for the holiday break, so Coach Cox invited me and my family out to the game," Pendergrass told IMS. "It was a good game. Maryland got off to a slow start but got themselves together and then took care of business. Julian Reese and Derik Queen played great in that game, so that was good to see."
Maryland extended an offer to Pendergrass back in the summer when he was playing in DMV Live for his former school, Mt. Zion Prep. Since moving away from home, there has been a lot of adjustments and despite the season entering the thick of the schedule, it seems as if things are somewhat slowing down for Pendergrass so he can keep his eyes on the programs that are recruiting him.
"We're still building that relationship. We spent some time with the coaches after the game to catch up on things and continue to learn more about each other."
"Maryland being close to home means something, obviously. It's a great school and they've started this year off great, so it's going to be interesting to see how far they go. It looks like they're chasing a Big Ten championship this year, so it could be a really big year for them."
During his time in College Park. Pendergrass was paying close attention to the style of play and how they utilized their Bigs such as Reese and Queen to determine whether or not his skill set could fit the same mold.
"Yeah, so obviously I love to play in the low-post and the high-post. Just watching them utilize those guys in both of those areas was nice. They use either of them in both spots, so they're kind of interchangeable," he said.
Pendergrass' recruitment took a jump when he reclassed to 2026. At 6-foot-8 with the ability to space the floor out beyond the arc with his shooting, he offers an intriguing long-term ceiling as a prospect. Programs have been keeping close tabs on him since July and monitoring his overall improvement since making the move to Hargrave.
"I'd say the schools that I'm hearing from consistently are ones like obviously Maryland, Iowa, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Seton Hall, San Diego, VCU, George Mason, Georgetown and there are one or two others."
At this point in time, Pendergrass has no scheduled visits in the near future to attend any games with any of the programs recruiting him. With his own season starting to heat up, availability will be limited but expect him to take some tours starting in the spring to get a better feel for each college environment and each program's pitch.
"Being at Hargrave has definitely helped me mature. Both mentally and physically. Being away from home and being at a military school forces you to grow up a little bit. I've gained 10 pounds since I've been there. We stay in the weight room consistently, so that's helping me with growing my game. Living at school, you have no choice but to be in the gym as much as possible," he said.
Like the majority of long hybrid forwards at the high school level, putting on the necessary size and strength can be the biggest obstacle when preparing themselves for the college level. Pendergrass not only has started seeing results with his frame, but the exposure of playing against older, more mature competition has forced him to adapt his physicality in a positive manner.
"Playing post-grad teams, college JV teams or college practice squads, the weight is much needed. When I first got to Hargrave and in our first couple of games, the older guys definitely had more muscle than me and it showed during games. I've been working though, and I notice a difference in my ability to finish through contact and being able to use my body more on defense without having to use my hands," he said.
Hargrave will continue their trek through the Elite Prep League play in hopes of contending for a national championship shot. Pendergrass is a major ingredient in that recipe. We'll be watching his growth through the process this season and as he sets off to join his DC Premier team on the Under Armour circuit, where he generated some early buzz last spring.
Pendergrass currently ranks as a three-star prospect and is slotted at No. 121 overall in the 2026 rankings.
